The fishing season from late January until April is the best time to taste this amazing regional delicacy from Sunnmøre – the famous Borgundfjord cod!
As its name indicates, the fish enter the Borgundfjord, outside Ålesund in Fjord Norway, each winter to spawn – making a feast for everyone who loves fish!
The cod is famous for being very big and rich in flavour. The cod fishery drew people to settle in Ålesund, centuries ago.
“It's a seasonal phenomenon where the cod becomes... promiscuous. Naturally these cod are happier, and therefore taste better, too.”
Skyler Milner
Head chef at the restaurant Bro in Ålesund
Learn how to prepare Borgundfjord cod like a pro, with this recipe for Sea Crusted Skrei by head chef at Bro in Ålesund, Skyler Milner!
Skrei (Arctic cod) fillet
Generously amount of rock salt
Tarragon Emulsion:
100g tarragon
100g spinach
100g grapeseed oil
3 eggs
7% vinegar
Salt
Potato and Seaweed Crumb:
6 mandel potatoes (almond potatoes)
Seaweed (sugar kelp, nori, dulse)
Oyster potato velouté:
500 ml fish stock
Cold butter
1 freshly shucked oyster
Lemon juice or homemade vinegar
Garnish with your favourite sautéed vegetables, and enjoy!
Source: Skyler Milner, head chef at Bro in Ålesund
Sea Crusted Skrei
Skrei – Remove the skin and bones from the skrei fillet. Salt the skrei fillet generously on both sides with rock salt. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. After the time has passed, gently rinse the fillet under cold running water.
Tarragon Emulsion – Begin by making a tarragon oil. Blend 100g tarragon, 100g spinach, 100g grapeseed oil together until fully broken up. Add to a pot and bring to simmer on medium heat. Cook 5-7 minutes until green bubbles rise to the surface. Strain and immediately place in the fridge to cool.
Meanwhile, add 3 egg yolks and 50g 7% vinegar to your blender. Blend and begin to add cooled oil slowly until emulsified. Season with salt and more vinegar if required to a delightful level of tang. If the mixture seizes or becomes too thick add a splash of water.
Potato & Seaweed Crumb – Blend 6 peeled mandel potatoes raw in a blender until crumbly. Rinse the starch off with cold water until running clear. Lay blended potatoes onto a towel and pat dry. Heat grapeseed oil to 170 degrees Celsius. Add dry potatoes to the oil and fry until golden brown, quickly strain and add to a dry towel to absorb excess oil. Season with fine salt.
Blend your favourite dried seaweed (sugar kelp, nori, dulse) to a powder and run them through your potato crumb.
When assembling:
Portion your fish to desired size and put on a tray with a cube of butter on top. Wrap in cling film and cook in a 120 degree Celsius oven until the fish becomes firm and slightly opaque (80 percent) cooked. Remove the fish from the oven and allow to carry over cook in its own goodness the rest of the way underneath the cling film.
Pat the top of the fish dry and begin to add a layer of the tarragon emulsion from a piping bag or plastic bottle.
Liberally add your potato sea crumb on top of the emulsion.
Add a final touch of micro planed bottarga to complete the sea crust effect. Add fish to your plate with your favorite sauteed vegetable, froth the sauce and sauce on the side of the fish.
Garnish with sea herbs and a touch more of your tarragon oil if you wish.
Oyster potato velouté – Reduce 500ml of fish stock by half or until desired flavour. Small dice one peeled mandel potato and cook in the fish stock until completely soft. Use a hand mixer to blend the potato into the stock to thicken it. Emulsify cubes of cold butter while blending with the hand mixer over medium high heat until frothy and balanced. Add 1 freshly shucked oyster and blend into the sauce as well. Add acidity with lemon juice or your favourite homemade vinegar, season, and strain. Keep warm and froth sauce to order.
The Borgundfjord fishery still binds people from town and country in the Sunnmøre region together.
Every year, there is an annual fishing festival, where both locals and visitors can embark on fishing trips and join competitions.
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